DEBATE: STUDENTS SHOULD EVALUATE THEIR TEACHERS

By Elizabeth Tungaraza

 

Following the poor performance in last year’s Form Four national examinations, some stakeholders have linked the mass failure to poor teaching skills. Students from Mwandege Boys Secondary School discuss whether anything will change if students evaluate their teachers.

OPPOSERS

Adam Mhoka:

 It will not be fair on teachers. They should be evaluated by experts and not students. Education inspectors should develop a system that evaluates teachers on regular basis. If given the go ahead, students will not be objective in judging their teachers. But the best way to help teachers is to tell them their weakness so that they can resolve their problems.

Adrian Thomas:

 This would indirectly give the students authority over teachers and they can use the opportunity to blackmail them. Moreover, students are not qualified for this job. I think it will be a source of misunderstanding between teachers and students.

Jesse Xibona:  

By evaluating teachers’ performance, students will not make any difference. We are talking about professionals who have gone through training and are qualified. Students have no knowledge in assessing teachers and if allowed, they may become personal instead of being professional. Evaluation and assessment of teachers is the job of education experts and not students.

PROPOSERS

Abdi Idd:  

By evaluating teachers, the standards of teaching are bound to go high because some of the teachers work for the sake of it and not for the benefit of students. Poor performing teachers will be challenged to improve as the good performers get even better. There are teachers who are good at one subject and not the other.

Bernard Paul:

 It is a good idea for students to evaluate their teachers because we know when our teachers are feeding us with the right material or not. This would be an excellent way to get feedback. Teachers are evaluated by principals, head teachers and education inspectors. We should also be in this list.

Shabani Seleman: 

 If students grade the performance of their teachers, then the teachers are likely to improve. This evaluation shouldn’t be bases on teaching only but also personality. Students should be able to voice their opinion in order to help the teachers improve their skills.

SHULE YATEKETEA KWA MOTO DAR

Dar es Salaam.

Mabweni ya wanafunzi wa Shule ya Sekondari ya Wazo Hill nje kidogo ya Jiji la Dar es Salaam, yameteketea kwa moto na kusababisha hasara ya mamilioni ya shilingi.

Moto huo uliozuka mapema asubuhi, inadaiwa ulisababishwa na hitilafu ya umeme.

Akizungumza jana shuleni hapo, mmiliki wa shule hiyo, Valence Msaki alisema moto huo ulianza saa 11 asubuhi wakati wanafunzi wakiwa kwenye mazoezi ya viungo.

Alisema ulianzia kwenye chumba cha viongozi wa mabweni na licha ya kuwa haukuleta madhara kwa binadamu, lakini umesababisha hasara ya mali mbalimbali za wanafunzi vikiwemo nguo, madaftari, vitanda na magodoro.

Msaki alisema mlinzi aligundua moto huo alipokuwa anakagua mabweni hayo kwani aliona ukitokea kwenye chumba cha viongozi.

Alisema ni asilimia 40 tu ya wanafunzi hao waliokoa baadhi ya vitu vyao na asilimia 60 hawakufanikiwa, hivyo vimeteketea.

“Moto huu ulianzia kwenye chumba wanacholala viongozi wa bweni inawezekana ikawa chanzo ni hitilafu ya umeme kwa kuwa chumba hicho muda wote taa huwa hazizimwi,” alisema Msaki.

Msaki alisema magari ya Kikosi cha Zimamoto yalifika saa 2.30 asubuhi, huku juhudi kubwa za kuuzima moto huo zikifanywa na wananchi, walimu na wanafunzi ambao walitumia maji, mchanga na baadhi ya vifaa vya kuzimia moto vya shule hiyo.

“Sasa hivi tunajipanga ili watoto waweze kulala na kesho tutafanya tathmini ya vitu vilivyoungua ili tujue vitu vingapi vimeungua,” alisema Msaki.

Kamanda wa Polisi Mkoa wa Kinondoni, Charles Kenyela alithibitisha kutokea kwa tukio hilo na kusema: “Kizuri ni kwamba hakuna vifo wala mtu aliyejeruhiwa.”

Aliwataka wakuu wa shule mbalimbali katika mkoa huo kufanyia ukaguzi vifaa vya moto na kuziweka shule zao katika hali ya tahadhari ili kusitokee maafa pindi inapotokea ajali za moto.

Mmoja wa wanafunzi wa shule hiyo, Samueli Nainda alisema kwamba wanaiomba Serikali iwasaidie kutokana na hasara iliyosababishwa na moto huo.

MAGAZETI

APRIL 15, 2013
KURASA ZA MBELE ZA MAGAZETI

KURASA ZA MWISHO ZA MAGAZETI 

FAKE KIMARA UNIVERSITY EXPOSED, TCU ORDERS IMMEDIATE SHUT DOWN

By Bernard Lugongo, The Citizen Reporter The Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) has identified an unregistered university at Kimara suburb. The organization, which calls itself Tanzania International University (TIU), is presently enrolling students for different courses up to degree level.  According to TCU deputy executive secretary, Prof Magishi Mgasa, TIU had not been accredited by his commission, hence it was operating illegally.  TCU, according to laws of the land, is charged with registering and overseeing operations of all higher learning institutions. Prof Mgasa noted during a press conference in the city yesterday that already a number of applicants had registered with the TIU for certificate, diploma and degree courses.  “We have served the management with a notice ordering it to close the Institution immediately,” he said.

MAGAZETI LEO JUMAMOSI

Pata habari mbalimbali zilizojiri katika kurasa za mbele na nyuma ya magazeti, Jumamosi  13 April 2013.

GOVERNMENT RE-INTRODUCTION OF CANES IN SCHOOLS GETS SUPPORT

 

By Devota Mwachang`a

Apparently, education stakeholders in Tanzania have come in support of the government’s decision to improve education in the country by reintroducing corporal punishment.

It is argued that caning, beating and hitting among other forms of corporal punishment will somehow discipline the students and improve their performance.
Former Director of Secondary Education, Philemon Charles, actually commended the government for accepting corporal punishment as the answer to the education crisis, calling that caning be executed often if ‘need be’.
“It’s best to use corporal punishment in schools in order to bring back discipline because school is the only centre for discipline ... when you beat them and they will regret their mistakes,” Charles said.

MAGAZETI LEO IJUMAA

Pata habari mbalimbali zilizojiri katika kurasa za mbele na nyuma ya magazeti, Ijumaa  12 April 2013. 

TLTC YAIKABIDHI SEKONDARI URAMBO VITABU VYA MILIONI 5.3/-

Kaimu Mkurugenzi wa Wilaya ya Urambo, Shadrack Yomba (kushoto) na Mkurugenzi wa Fedha na Utawala Kampuni ya Tumbaku nchini(TLTC), Sylivester Kapungu, wakigawa msaada wa vitabu vya kiada kwa wanafunzi wa Shule ya Sekondari Usisya.

Kampuni ya Tumbaku nchini (TLTC), imekabidhi vitabu vyenye thamani ya Sh. milioni 5.3 kwa Shule ya Sekondari Usisya iliyopo katika Wilaya ya Urambo mkoani Tabora.

TUME YA KUCHUNGUZA MATOKEO KIDATO CHA NNE YAMALIZA AWAMU YA KWANZA

Waziri Mkuu, Mizengo Pinda. 

Tume ya Kuchunguza Matokeo Mabaya ya Kidato cha Nne ya mwaka 2012 iliyoundwa na Waziri Mkuu Mizengo Pinda imemaliza kukusanya maoni ya awamu ya kwanza katika mikoa ya Dodoma, Uguja na Pemba na imeanza awamu ya pili.

 Katibu wa Tume hiyo Edwin Mgendela, alisema kazi hiyo inaendelea vizuri na wananchi wamekuwa wakijitokeza kwa wingi kutoa mawazo yao na kwamba awamu ya kwanza kwenye mji wa Dodoma, Pemba pamoja na Unguja lilimalizika Ijumaa iliyopita.

SERIKALI YARUDISHA VIBOKO SHULENI

Naibu Waziri wa Elimu na Mafunzo ya Ufundi, Philipo Mulugo 

Mpoki Bukuku, Mwananchi
Serikali imesema itarudisha adhabu ya viboko kwa wanafunzi shuleni ili kujenga nidhamu na kujituma.Akizungumza Dar es Salaam jana wakati akizindua tovuti ya www.shledirect.co.tz inayowezesha wanafunzi kujisomea kwa njia ya mtandao, Naibu Waziri wa Elimu na Mafunzo ya Ufundi, Philipo Mulugo ilisema kuondolewa kwa adhabu ya viboko shuleni kumewafanya wanafunzi wengi kukosa nidhamu na wakati mwingine kujifanyia mambo kienyeji.

“Wasipotandikwa mambo hayaendi, nilipokuwa mwalimu mkuu nilikuwa nawatandika kweli ndiyo maana shule yangu ilikuwa ikiongoza Mkoa wa Mbeya hivihivi hawaendi...” alisema huku akishangiliwa na wageni waalikwa.

Alisema watoto wa siku hizi wamekuwa wakitumia vibaya teknolojia ambayo ingeweza kuwasaidia kwa kiasi kikubwa katika masomo yao... “Tovuti kama hiyo ingewasaidia kwa masomo, lakini wao wanakimbilia kwenye facebook na mambo mengine yasiyofaa.”